Visiting caregivers act as “angels” to those senior residents who are recovering from hospitalization

Visiting Angels experienced caregivers provide up to 24 hour care in the comfort of senior residents' homes who are recovering from hospitalization as an alternative to having the person placed into a nursing home or long term care facility.

"Our services make it possible for our clients to remain in their homes instead of being placed in a nursing home or institutional facility, and to receive help and assistance with daily living," Jaime Cortez, director of the Destrehan location said.

An added feature is a 24 hour phone line that seniors have access to anytime they need help and support.

"Our phone lines are available 24 hours a day seven days a week," Cortez said. "We've gotten calls as early as 4:30 a.m., and had to send a staff person to someone's home within a couple of hours.”

Cortez says the company, which is based out of Philadelphia provides services to at least 85 families within the tri-parish area.

"We help elderly people who want to stay independent in their own homes by assisting with bathing, dressing, housekeeping or whatever they need," she said. "We see amazing results with our clients and our staff must take 40 hours of training annually to make sure they are skilled in working with the clients."

Cortez says once an elderly patient is released from the hospital, instead of going to a nursing home, Visiting Angels is ready to provide the necessary staff to help them get back on their feet.

"We have a lady that we helped to get home from the hospital, and we  stayed with her 24 hours  a day seven days a week," Cortez said. "The meds were wrong, and she was having problems getting things adjusted."

Cortez's staff, along with the help from the patient's doctors over a period of a couple of months, was able to help her to full recovery.

"She got better and got strong enough to be on her own and she didn't need the care anymore," she said. "We check on her once a month; it makes us feel good to know she is able to manage on her own."

Cortez works directly with hospitals when the patients are released to ensure the details are covered and the staff knows exactly what the patient's needs are.

"We have a fabulous reputation with East Jefferson Hospital,” Cortez said. “They know the details we go through to help someone to get back on their feet, and be able to live independently again.”